6,000m on Concept2 Model C, 25:49, 29 AUG 07, Fort Campbell KY

Hüsker Dü, "Eight Miles High"

WX at 0700: 77.2 (25.1) 70.0 (21.1) 30.11 (1019) SSW 6 RH 79

Odometer 1: 30.0mi N/A

Z4.

I had misplaced my ID, and ended up having to get a visitor pass to enter Fort Campbell this morning. I briefly thought about booting PT altogether, but I decided afterwards that maybe there might be some utility in cranking away on the Concept, so I did. I was pleasantly surprised that I was holding faster, but it's easy to gauge that I'm going faster in the first 2000m. The real determinant is hanging on at about the halfway mark. Since I didn't want to go too far, I decided to hold at 6,000m, and was holding about 2:07-2:10 most of the way.

I think the strength work is helping, but I need to start working legs again. On the bright side, I didn't feel like I was going to woof after I got done spinning.

Splits
Distance: 6000
Time: 0:25:49
Per 500m: 02:09
Drag Factor : 181
Per Mile: 0:06:55

4.2mi, 35:18, 28 AUG 07, Fort Campbell KY

Hilary Duff, "Wake Up"

WX at 0700: 75 (24) DP 66 (18) BP 30.06 (1017.3) calm RH 74

Odometer 4: 200.2mi

Z3.

For a run that wasn't supposed to be too hard, I didn't realize I was going 8:00/mi pace at the end. It felt a little hard, but not hard, hard.

This is perhaps vindication that lifting has done good things for my running. I'm probably in as good as shape as I've ever been since starting my informal lifting program.

I thought briefly about cranking away on the Concept, but I concentrated more on heavy strength work, mostly in bench press, incline press, lat pulldown on free weights, and some fly work. I guess I should start doing some flys to work some other aspects of chest, and I did some ab work just to make sure I was staying honest...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.86 07:51 07:51 09:08 09:08 0.86
0.90 15:36 07:45 08:37 08:52 1.76
1.26 25:32 09:56 07:53 08:27 3.02
1.22 35:18 09:46 08:00 08:20 4.24

30min on elliptical, 27 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

Nothing in the iThink, just reflections on how vapid American TV is.

WX at 0700: 69.1 (20.6) DP 59.0 (15.0) BP 30.05 (1017) N 3 RH 70

Odometer 3: N/A

Z3 low.

Today was mostly about lifting more than any aerobic work. The 30 minutes on the elliptical was just to burn off some lactate from yesterday's trail runs.

This morning was all about making sure today wouldn't become a day of "do nothing but eat."

6.8mi, 78:20, 26 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

Hilary Duff, "Wake Up"
Lillis à Laoire, "Wander my Friends"
The Legion of Doom, "Dangerous Business Since 1979"
Aly & AJ, "Slow Down" (which I tried to purge in vain)

WX at 1100: 84.0 (28.9) 64.0 (17.8) 30.04 (1017) NNE 7 RH 51
WX at 1000: 80.1 (26.7) 66.0 (18.9) 30.03 (1016) NNE 8 RH 62
WX at 0900: 73.9 (23.3) 66.0 (18.9) 30.04 (1017) N 8 RH 76

Odometer 1: 30.0mi

Z3, Z4 high going uphill.

Today was a day to work off the last two days of "do nothing but eat." I decided to take a slightly different take on running multiple loops of Dunbar Cave State Park's recovery trail (the 1.7mi loop), and concentrated on not going out too fast, which appears to have worked. I ended up taking breaks after laps 2, 3, and 4, which probably helped. While I need to keep working upper body, I realize that I need to start working lower body for raw power. Either that, or I need to start roadmarching again, which I need to do in any event, but may hold off until I get back to Fort Leavenworth to do.

In the meantime, I've become stronger, thinner, and perhaps a bit faster, and bizarrely enough, I'm running less. I think this is transitory, though. Still, a 220 pound bench press is encouraging.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.70 19:38 19:38 11:33 11:33 1.70
1.70 39:10 19:32 11:29 11:31 3.40
1.70 58:51 19:41 11:35 11:32 5.10
1.70 78:20 19:29 11:28 11:31 6.80

7,000m on Concept2 Model C, 30:49, 23 AUG 07, Fort Campbell KY

mewithoutyou, "January 1979"

WX at 0700: 75.0 (23.9) DP 67.1 (19.5) BP 30.07 (1018) Calm RH 77

Odometer 4: 196mi N/A

Z3.

I was cranking away and could feel the lactate building up as I was grinding away. I had to call it quits because I felt like I was going to woof.

Interestingly, there was another guy on the Concept2 here before me, but he was on crutches and he was trying to do something different since he couldn't run. Good for him.

I'm not sure what I'll do - but I need to sleep now. This week of not getting more than five hours of sleep a night because of my insane work schedule has gotta stop.

Splits
Distance: 7000
Time: 0:30:49
Per 500m: 02:12
Drag Factor : 184
Per Mile: 0:07:05

35min on elliptical, 22 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

Nothing in the iThink, because I was reading Henry D. Sokolski, ed., Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice

WX at 0600: 77.0 (25.0) DP 66.0 (18.9) BP 30.04 (1017) SSW 5 RH 68

Odometer 4: 196mi equivalent

Z2.

I've had this book for a while; I've been meaning to read it, but I really didn't feel like fighting traffic coming in, so I decided to go for an easy read and some wogging on the elliptical.

I also lifted, mostly to make sure I was staying mostly on track and not getting much weaker, which has not happened yet. Yet.

5.8mi, 49:32, 20 AUG 07, Fort Campbell KY

The Cure, "Out of Mind"
The All-American Rejects, "Move Along"

WX at 0700: 78.4 (25.8) DP 69.3 (20.7) BP 30.02 (1016) SSW 8 RH 74

Odometer 4: 193.8mi

Z3.

For not working very hard, it sure seemed like I was going faster than I thought. If I'm going 8:32/mi aggregate pace for not working very hard, I guess I should be gratified.

Tomorrow I will spin on the Concept, something I was going to do today, but after the air conditioner went out in my apartment last night, I wasn't about to be inside and sweat when I could be outside and sweat instead.

It's been a little while since I've had whitewalls, though; having the sides and back of my head shaved meant that once I started sweating, it was on, bad. Sweat going everywhere. Yay.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
2.90 25:03 25:03 08:38 08:38 2.90
2.90 49:32 24:29 08:27 08:32 5.80

5.1mi, 60:41, 19 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

J.S. Bach, movement 3 to Double Concert for 2 violins in d minor

WX at 1100: 89.1 (31.7) DP 68.0 (20.0) BP 30.09 (1018) SW 8 RH 49
WX at 1000: 86.0 (30.0) DP 66.9 (19.4) BP 30.08 (1018) S 9 RH 53

Odometer 1: 23.2mi

Z4.

Slow, getting slower. Every uphill got progressively more painful as I went further, to the point where I was walking uphill. There are positive splits, and then there are POSITIVE SPLITS. Ouch.

I need to start working on lower body raw power as well...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.70 19:16 19:16 11:20 11:20 1.70
1.70 39:12 19:56 11:44 11:32 3.40
1.70 00:41 21:29 12:38 11:54 5.10

35min on elliptical, 18 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

Suicidal Tendencies, "No Fuck'n Problem"

WX at 1000: 82.9 (28.3) DP 55.0 (12.8) BP 30.16 (1021) ESE 8 RH 38

Odometer 4: 188.0mi relative

Z2.

Not going too hard - planning on running 8+ on hills tomorrow, so today was a day of relative discretion. Not too hard, but no heart rate above 155 today.

I find it wryly ironic that I have a Suicidal Tendencies song as my iThink mantra today as the conduct of work in the last few days has seen me pull anywhere from 14-16 hours at work every day this week...with the exception of yesterday, which was only about 12. The content of work is a separate discussion, but it's the first time I've done this kind of work this intensively since 1999, and I am out of practice.

Some lifting went in with this.

This is the first time in a while that I've been consistently below the cutoff for getting taped for body fat percentage. I can't say I'm arguing, although it seems paradoxical that I'm doing this off less running than I've ever done before, and that I've been getting stronger than I have in the past. That may be a bizarrely useful correlation. Maybe.

Splits
None in this case.

35 minutes on elliptical, 15 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

Ultimate Fakebook, "Goddamn Dance Craze"

WX at 0500: 68.0 (20.0) DP 62.1 (16.7) BP 29.91 (1012) Calm RH 81

Odometer 4: 184.0mi approximate

Z3.

Needed to get something in before having to show up to work at 6:30am. Yay.

More lifting, but 35 minutes of elliptical on high resistance, especially after yesterday's fast run, was no joke.

Still, better to wake up at 4:30am and do something rather than have a day of "nothing but eat."

5.8mi, 45:52, 14 AUG 07, Fort Campbell KY

Aly & AJ, "Chemicals React" (both English and Simlish versions)

WX at 0700: 69.3 (20.7) DP 63.1 (17.3) BP 30.02 (1016) Calm RH 81

Odometer 4: 181.0mi

Z4 high.

This is, unquestionably, the hardest distance run I've done in a while.

It was, unquestionably, by far the fastest run I've done during the summer months in a long, long time. This serves as an interesting validation for my cross-training program, where I've been losing weight and running faster because I was doing things OTHER than running.

There are running mantras that work - I was pleasantly surprised how well this new one works - and it's a more consistent one than some of the others I've used in the past.

I was reeling in folks left and right - but latched onto someone who was going about the same speed as me. I was attempting to reel this person in, but got away from me in a finishing acceleration. I was about tapped out, but I didn't realize I was averaging sub-8-minute pace until I did the math. Keen!

I should be more concerned with the fact that I ran progressive more positive splits, but this is validation indeed.

That was good, because I was witness to some punishing staff work later on today. It was tedious, but it's important. We're getting there...eventually.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.44 10:48 10:48 07:30 07:30 1.44
1.46 22:15 11:27 07:51 07:40 2.90
1.53 34:42 12:27 08:08 07:50 4.43
1.37 45:52 11:10 08:09 07:54 5.80

30 min on elliptical, 13 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

Nothing. Watching Battlestar Galactica on the workout room TV.

WX at 0800: 78.1 (25.6) DP 64.9 (18.3) BP 30.06 (1017) Calm RH 64

Odometer 3: N/A

Z3.

A little more effort on the elliptical, to try to elevate heart rate, since I didn't feel like going in to work earlier this morning. I'll go in after posting this.

Prior to elliptical: bench press, incline press, shoulder press, lat pulldown, lat pulldown with hands reversed, some elevated leg crunches, standing bicep curl. There is some noticeable improvement - I am definitely getting stronger.

I also appear to be trimming out, in spite of my occasional bouts of catharsis drinking. I say occasional since it's usually a few weeks in between those events. Deploying to theater and going under General Order 1 will probably do wonders for my health. The likelihood of my getting spammed in combat is relatively small given the scope of my duties, unless I'm just in the wrong place at the wrong time and whatever aircraft I happen to be in flies into the side of a mountain...which has happened once or twice in the last few years.

I find it bizarrely ironic that this morning's BSG episode was "Taking a Break from All Your Worries." I swear to god I can't fucking make this up.

45 minutes on elliptical, 11 AUG 07, Clarksville TN

Aly & AJ, "Chemicals React" (in English)
Aly & AJ, "Chemicals React" (in Simlish)

WX at 1000: 89.2 (31.8) DP 66.7 (19.3) BP 30.06 (1017) E 9 clear RH 47

Odometer 4: 172.5mi constructive estimate 175mi based on relative strain

Z3.

It'd been a while since I lifted, so I went to the gym in the apartments in which I'm currently living. That wasn't so bad. I did some lat pulldowns, standing curls, bench presses, shoulder presses, and some crunches. I'm not really doing all that to beat a certain level of strength - but mostly to get stronger.

One of my coworkers from Iraq had told me I had the potential to become much bigger and stronger than I was - which ran counter to what I traditionally do to lose weight and run more, to get thinner. Lately I've changed my focus to try to see what working on strength (rather than just endurance) will do. It also gets some different energies out as I push weights rather than just wogging along.

And yes, the Aly & AJ songs stem from the Disney Channel. I like the song, fuck off.
It's not the first song, though, that I've heard done in Simlish, and the contrarian in me likes it enough for it to stick in my mind, and not in a negative way.

6.9mi, 0:55:56, 10 AUG 07, Fort Campbell KY

The Bats, "Courage"
The Legion of Doom, "Dangerous Business Since 1979"

WX at 0700: 77 (25) DP 72 (22.2) BP 29.97 (1014.2) N 8 clear RH 85

Odometer 1: 18.1mi

Z3 high.

First time running this area, and I'm not sure about distances. I have a hard time believing I was actually running as fast as the figures say I was.

It was good to run hills, which were a humbling experience.

I stopped briefly to chat with an old friend from the last deployment, who I passed as I was running. Well, maybe not briefly, if it was 20 minutes...

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.01 07:43 07:43 07:38 07:38 1.01
1.26 19:10 11:27 09:05 08:27 2.27
0.89 26:09 06:59 07:51 08:17 3.16
0.89 33:09 07:00 07:52 08:11 4.05
1.25 43:39 10:30 08:24 08:14 5.30
1.57 55:56 12:17 07:49 08:09 6.87

4000m on Concept2 Model C, 17:06, 7 AUG 07, Fort Campbell KY

Ultimate Fakebook, "Wrestling Leap Year"
Blue Oyster Cult, "Don't Fear the Reaper"

WX at 0600: 76.5 (24.7) DP 71.2 (21.8) BP 29.96 (1014) SW 3 mist RH 84

Odometer 4: 172.5mi N/A

Z4.

I got on the Concept this morning, and realized after about 4000m of cranking that I just didn't care, so I quit. First time, I think ever, that I've just up and called it quits for a session.

My greatly improved speed from whatever I was doing at Leavenworth was not enough incentive to try for something faster. I was gratified to have some of my old speed back; I attribute some of that to the straight wooden Model C grips, rather than the angled Model D grips.

The air temperature would exceed 100F today by the late morning. At some point I'll need to visit the barber shop and get some clean whitewalls as befits the weather.

The Kubelwagen has been having some brake problems...again. All things come in groups, it would seem. While I am not a serious believer in karma, recent events certainly have made it a lot harder to approach the challenges in the way I'd like...or should. Perhaps it's time to dust off Epictetus from the bookshelf and get my azimuth back.

Splits
Distance: 4000
Time: 0:17:06
Per 500m: 02:08
Drag Factor : 183
Per Mile: 0:06:53

Resentment

Is the word I've been trying to remember the last few days.

When I think of Household6, the word that comes to mind is not anger, nor is it frustration, but most properly, resentment. Just had to remember that before I forget it again.

I must differentiate carefully what the implications of resentment are versus frustration or anger, or for that matter, white-hot rage.

6.0mi, 54:11, 5 AUG 07, Fort Leavenworth KS

The Legion of Doom, "Dangerous Business Since 1979"
Silverstein, "Defend You"
Limp Bizkit, "Nookie"

WX at 0800: 79.0 (26.1) DP 69.1 (20.6) BP 29.87 (1011) SSW 13 RH 71

Odometer 4: 172.5mi

Z3.

I had to do something about my chronic case of the ass, so I decided to go on a relatively easy catharsis run. I try hard not to focus on my own personal life too much in these soliloquies, because I've been feeling a lot of incandescent rage in the last two weeks, mostly related to things at home.

It's been a while since I've been so angry that I redlined our minivan getting onto the interstate last week.

Exercise is a very incomplete method of getting the frustration out.

That said, today's run didn't feel so bad. At least the run part. For running in today's conditions (warm and breezy albeit getting humid) I think it's a promising sign of the road to recovery.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
0.32 02:56 02:56 09:10 09:10 0.32
0.89 11:26 08:30 09:36 09:29 1.21
0.68 16:54 05:28 08:01 08:57 1.89
0.67 22:50 05:56 08:55 08:57 2.55
2.24 44:42 21:52 09:45 09:19 4.80
0.86 51:50 07:08 08:15 09:09 5.66
0.32 54:11 02:21 07:22 09:04 5.98

2.8mi + 5,000m on Concept2 Model C, 22:06, 3 AUG 07, Fort Leavenworth KS

The Legion of Doom, "Dangerous Business Since 1979"

WX at 1000: 81.0 (27.2) DP 70.0 (21.1) BP 30.1 (1019) NNE 5 RH 69

Odometer 4: 165.5mi

Z2 run, Z4 spin.

Today marked screwing around with somewhat lower drag factors than I've been grinding over the last few spin sessions on the Concept. Today was productive, and I was peaking out at about 2:10-2:11/500m, but it was more important that I get some legitimate effort out.

Then I decided to lift. I realize my core muscles are pretty strong; my triceps, pectorals, and deltoids need some work, but 220# bench press on a circuit machine doesn't always translate into analogous performance for 90 degree shoulder presses or overhead presses. That, and lat pulldowns, as I need to do for upper back.

I'm still kicking around whether I want to get thinner or bigger; I think I may experiment with the bigger for a while, especially as I get ready for Air Assault School, which is still in the forseeable future - I hope.

Good god did the run back suck. That brought a new meaning to the phrase "out of gas," especially after going uphill. I know I shouldn't be too bent out of shape about it since I had been working lower body pretty continuously as I was spinning away on the Concept, but it's still a great way to notch you down a few when you're killing yourself on an uphill of all of 150m.

Splits
SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.39 12:07 12:07 08:43 08:43 1.39

Distance: 5000
Time: 0:22:06
Per 500m: 02:13
Drag Factor : 174
Per Mile: 0:07:07

SGMT AGGRG SEGMT PERMI AVGPC DIST
1.39 26:15 14:08 10:10 09:27 2.78

Unbefuckinglievable

Barack Obama says he'd authorize troops to go into Pakistan to chase down terrorists because he thinks the Pakistani government is unwilling to do it.

I think my biggest problem with this is a basic misunderstanding of how we create more terrorists. Attacking Baluchistan or the Federally Administered Tribal Areas is akin to kicking a hornet's nest, then casually ambling TOWARDS the nest coated in sugar.

That Americans are not ridiculing this insane rationale for action highlights one of the most fundamental problems with the Long War...that people think that with some free market economy and internet connectivity, that we can win the war because suddenly people in Central Asia can watch two girls kissing on YouTube and we will turn them all into good little capitalist democrats.

Between unilaterally withdrawing from Iraq, a course of action that ignores some basic realities of how to fight counterinsurgencies and not incidentally is an act of war against a country which is, regardless of popular belief, an ally, is one of the most inept things I've heard in a while.

As much as we have problems with Musharraf as a national leader, the alternative pickings are pretty slim. Sometimes surrogate warfare means you don't have the luxury of dealing with Mother Teresa and Joan of Arc. There's not enough damn Schlitz in the freezer to write that check...and it would make the Long War into the Forever War.

That would be akin to saying "bring it on" while dropping dehydrated pork patties all over the Middle East as our military charges into northwest Pakistan to the tune of the Team America theme song.

When I think the American public has the stomach for the kind of sustained bruising fight that it would produce, maybe I'd be less dismissive of this spitball of a course of action, but I distrust the American electorate to the point where I'm afraid this might actually get some traction.